-Can you tell us about the makeup application process? What was the longest it’s taken for them to prepare you for a scene?

 

Ahh, the makeup experience. That's an interesting one. It's fun to sit there and watch the artists work, seeing what sort of creation they will come up with this time. Generally the application process from start to finish is an hour and a half. That's the time they are allotted, but it doesn't always take that long. Sometimes they need more, depending on the complexity of the makeup. Us walkers don't really worry about the length of time it takes. We just sit there in the chair and relax, while the make up artists do their thing. It's usually early in the morning when we have to report, so sometimes we will try to get a nap in the makeup chair.

 

We can't always do that though, because the artists need our participation, such as "hold your arms out, lift your head up, open your mouth, close your eyes, look up at the ceiling", and so on and so forth. We have to be aware of what's going on, so falling completely asleep is out of the question, even if sitting there is quite relaxing. The longest it's ever taken them to prepare me for a scene is probably an hour and a half to two hours. Part of the make up that day included a mouth piece. The make up artist had trouble getting the piece positioned in my mouth so it would stay. I think he tried the adhesive 3 different times. He finally got it to where it would come in and out easily, and stay put when it was in my mouth. I know he was getting frustrated that day with the mouth appliance, but it looked good once it was in.

 

-Which episodes have you appeared in? What was your role in those episodes?

 

Starting in Season 3, I was in episode 1 as a civilian walker in the prison courtyard. I was a prison inmate walker in episode 4. In episode 11 I was a walker when Andrea comes back to the prison to visit. Rick grabs her and throws her on the fence, and I come up from the side and get right in her face on the fence. In episode 14 when the Governor is chasing Andrea and they end up in a dark warehouse. The Governor is dragging a shovel around the warehouse and creepily whistling. Andrea cuts her hand while trying to open a door with a broken glass window.

 

The Governor is behind her, thinking he has her cornered, so she opens this door and hides behind it, while at the same time letting a whole bunch of walkers into the room. I am one of those walkers. The Governor takes his shovel and turns it sideways, and then puts it across two walkers' chests. He pushes against the walkers, and then slams them up against the wall. I am one of those walkers. The scene continues, as we are getting closer to the Governor. I am one of the walkers that he shoots up close. After I get shot, the camera focuses through my exploding head as I drop, and looks to Andrea through the broken glass window of that door. She is looking back through it at the Governor.

 

 

In Season 4 I was in several episodes during the first half of the season, but I was mostly deep background. I was in episode 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8. In episode 5 I was playing a dead walker laying in the back of trailer at the prison that Michonne was loading bodies onto. Rick comes up and asks if she needs any help, and Herschel is in the scene too. I simply had to lay there on top of other zombie dummies. It wasn't too bad, except for the heat that day. Thankfully, between takes they had someone with an umbrella come over and hold it over my head and face to keep me a little cooler.

 

In Season 5 I've been in episode 4, 6, 8, and 10. Episode 4 of this season I was the walker in the hospital that reaches out and grabs Noah as he's rappelling down the elevator shaft. That was a really cool scene to work on. If you haven't watched the behind the scenes video on how they made that episode then go watch it. The elevator and hospital floor set that they built was awesome. All constructed in 8 days. It's mind blowing. In episode 6 I was a walker approaching Daryl and Carol as Daryl is trying to bust open the door to a building . They were in a car which ran out of fuel, so then they had to exit the car and make a run for it. I was one of the walkers that comes out of the shadows that Carol sees as she is gazing out. In episode 8, the mid season finale, I was the second walker that gets killed in the hospital courtyard. Abraham and company arrive in a fire truck to the hospital. They get out and start walking towards the door, when the first walker comes out from behind the military tent and Glenn knifes him in the throat.

Then I come out from the other side and walk towards Michonne, who proceeds to slice my head off. Another fun scene to work on. I always wanted to get killed by Michonne, with the katana. I was so excited when I found out that's how it was going to happen. Finally, in episode 10 I was in the group of walkers approaching the barn during the thunderstorm. Daryl looks out the gap in the doors of the barn, lightning strikes and all you see is walkers approaching. Of course, unfortunately for us walkers, we were all wiped out by the tornado.